Caecitate
by PantherLydi
Summary: He couldn't possibly have predicted this. On the rare occasions when people banged their heads as he placed them under his sleeping charm, never had it become this severe. Now, out of guilt, he acted out as her ray of light from the infinite darkness. MystLu!
1. Blindness I

**Rating:**_ T for violence and gore, some swearing too_

**Pairing:**_ Mystogan/Lucy_

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Fairy Tail in any shape, size or form. All rights goes to Hiro Mashima._

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_**/Ca·e·ci·ta·te/**_

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**Noun – Latin**

_The state of being blind or lacking sight._

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**_L_**ucy looked on ahead, her head resting on her hand. She gave a soft smile to Mira, who was making drinks for her and her fellow guild mates. She giggled lightly as the snow haired woman scolded her teammate, who was searching for his jeans around the rowdy guild. Shaking her head in mirrored disapproval at Gray's bad habit she turned her head to her fellow bookworm, who had her head stuffed between the slightly tattered pages. Feeling a heated gaze at the back of her head, she glanced around and caught the ruby red eyes of the residential iron dragon slayer, who looked away quickly. Giggling once more, she leaned into Levy's ear.

''Gajeel is looking.'' She whispered as quietly as she could, and grinned in satisfaction as her friend's face painted itself red. The bluenette whipped her head around, looking for the tall raven haired man. Lucy shook her head – the girl's crush on Gajeel was just too obvious. If they don't end up dating soon, she might even consider teaming up with Mira to get these two together already.

''Lucy~.'' Mira called out as she placed the cup of steaming hot coffee in front of her. Lucy rubbed her hands. It was almost winter, the climate was getting cooler by the day and the blonde tried to keep herself as warm as possible. Gray didn't seem to mind thought, because she doubted he would be in his underwear outside in weather like this.

Reaching out towards the cup, her eyes trailed the porcelain as she noticed the rapidly growing crack. Mira came by, wiping off the last drops of water from the glass mug in her hand. She looked slightly concerned as she glanced at the Celestial mage who stared blankly at her coffee.

''That's a bad omen Lucy, here, let me change it.'' She reached for the mug but Lucy quickly drove the porcelain through the counter surface near herself. She forced a smile out for the takeover mage who looked at her with blue eyes shining with concern. She was such a wonderful role model, and her two siblings were very lucky to have her. She briefly wondered what it would be like if she had any siblings, but quickly swiped the thought away with a reassuring smile plastered on her doll-like face.

''its fine Mira-san, no worries.'' She fanned her hand in front of the 'demon' as Mira gave her one last doubtful look and walked towards her brother. Lucy sighed and looked down. A sudden wave of anxiety rushing through her body as the keys strapped to her belt tingled. Bad omens for a celestial mage were always a very bad sign indeed, but she brushed it off too. No matter what, she'll overcome everything heading her way.

At least she hoped so.

So with a slightly fake smile, the blonde looked at the still blushing bluenette with a mischievous glint in her brown eyes

''So Levy, about Gajeel..-''

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**_W_**ith every step he took, fresh blankets of snow were crushed by his weight. Fluffy snowflakes landed on his eyelashes and he drew his mask up as high as he could. Grasping a stave with a fan from his strap, he chanted a spell under his breath, as the familiar building's door came closer and closer to his line of vision. It was about time he took another job for himself, and with winter coming he might want to finish a quick request or two. Stepping into the silencing guild unnoticeably, he made out the soft 'thumps' of people falling asleep on tables, or falling to the floor. But he paid no mind, it was always like this.

He could see Master Makarov trying to keep his eyes opened, seemingly exhausted as Mystogan passed by, going straight towards the job request board.

But a loud crash seemed to draw both of their attention, and the masked man wished he hadn't turned around to see at all.

His heart clenched with every single drop of blood and brown liquid dripping onto the wooden floor. Colorful shards of porcelain bore their fangs at the creamy skin of one of the newest members of the guild. Mystogan's breath came short, as his feet seemed to sprint automatically to the blonde's side, and he could see master doing the same. Placing a shaky hand on the girl's shoulder, he turned her body around warily, and almost instantly he drew back, the blood leaving from his face in an instant.

The first thing he noticed were the slight cuts running down her lower face, as what seemed to be coffee and red liquid steamed from above. Mystogan took a shaky breath, realization dawning to him as his stomach churched violently.

Where the lovely chocolate orbs were supposed to shine brightly, blood and shards replaced the image.

Lucy Heartfilia, the beloved Celestial mage of the guild called Fairy Tail, had now undeniably lost her light.

And it was his entire fault.

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**A/N:**_ So I was kind of feeling angst-y, so I decided to write this down real quick. I simply adore Mystogan/Lucy fanfics, but sadly, this crackship isn't as popular as others, so I decided to write my own version. I don't even know if I should continue this? I had this idea for quite a while and when I wrote this, it started to sound really dumb to me. ;_; Well no matter, this ship needs some more love~, so I thought – what the heck, why not – and decided to publish this either way. This was pretty short, but for a decent prologue, it sufficed for me._


	2. Forgiveness II

**Rating:**_ T for violence and gore, some swearing, OOC-ness too_

**Pairing:**_ Mystogan/Lucy_

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Fairy Tail in any shape, size or form. All rights go to Hiro Mashima._

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_**/Re·mis·sio·nem/**_

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**Noun – Latin**

_The action or process of forgiving or being forgiven._

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_**H**_e rubbed his stinging cheek under his mask. Looking down onto the floor, he basked in the angry insults and threats thrown his way. He was an honourable man, he could take it and by the end of the day, it was his entire fault. He trailed his dark eyes from the raging dragon slayer before him, to the wounded girl lying on the stiff bed of the infirmary room. Porlyusica stood next to the unconscious girl, who he placed under his sleeping charm more than once in the last three hours. A light blue magic circle hovered above Lucy's damaged eyes, and Mystogan felt some sense of relief wash over him when they surely, but slowly, started to heal.

Once the guild woke up from the temporary sleep, almost immediately all of them jumped at Mystogan's throat. The poor man didn't even know how to react, he wasn't used to so many people around, especially when they were his fellow guildmates and he was the one receiving the end of their fury. With each hateful spat he got, he tried to make himself smaller, the guilt washing over him in giant waves. Nobody was as vengeful as team Natsu thought.

He could still feel the heated glare from the scarlet haired woman in the doorway. It made Mystogan tug his mask up in paranoia. It would certainly not benefit for Erza to see his true face in this situation, it might break her.

Natsu looked down at the S-class mage crouching near his feet. His teeth moved against one another in fury, all he wanted to do at this point was to hit this bastard. But deep down, he knew he didn't mean to do it, considering he was still his nakama, but still. He wanted to teach this guy a lesson he'll never forget. Raising his fist into the air once more, he almost pounded the masked man if it wasn't for the icy hand landing on his shoulder.

''Oi flame brain, that's enough.'' Gray said as he stepped between the two men. Natsu pulled himself out of his hold and pushed the ice mage out of his way. He grasped the guilt-filled mage by the collar and got into his hidden face. Natsu's eyes flared at the calmness of his expression. His eerie familiar eyes seemed to mock him as they remained unreadable.

''Natsu! Put Mystogan down right this instance!'' Master bellowed. ''I can assure you this incident was nobody's fault, so if you'd be so kind..'' The little man pointed his staff to the ground, signalling the salmon haired slayer to put Mystogan down. Natsu leveled Makarov with a calculating glare, before silently backing off.

He'll settle this later.

Jellal watched silently as the dragon slayer walked out of the infirmary. He didn't mind the rage that they showered him upon, and whatever master told the others will never register in his conscious. What he said was a lie; it was his fault no matter what he thought. He tangled his gloved fingers together as he listened to the silent sobs of the bluenette who sat in a chair next to the blonde. Grasping the stave from the strap of his back, by Porlyusica's order he placed Lucy into another dose of painless sleep. His blue eyebrows knitted in worry as he noticed the woman's drained expression as she reconstructed the celestial mage's eyes.

He hoped it will be over soon.

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The colourful images of her dreams soon faded as the background noises seemed to get louder by the second. The first thing Lucy noticed when she regained consciousness was the odd numbness in her eyelids. She felt like she had slept for ages but the shields of her eyes were still locked shut. She shifted uncomfortably on the hard bed, and noticed that the voices became distinctly quieter. She tried to pray her eyes open, and they started to tingle behind her eyelids. Raising her hand up to rub the annoying itch, she quietly gasped when a hand took hold of hers harshly.

''You mustn't, it will get infected.'' A stern, female's voice rang besides her and Lucy thought that the tone reminded her of the nurses back in her father's mansion. She nodded hesitantly as she opened her eyes lazily, one eyelid working more sluggishly than the other. She looked around the room and thought it was quite odd for somebody to sit in a pitch black room.

''Could you turn on the lights?'' She asked the woman meekly, turning her head to the direction her voice previously rang from. The shuffling in the room almost immediately died down and Lucy looked around, a worried expression painted on her face.

''Lu-chan…'' A quiet voice sounded from her right and Lucy quickly wiped around when she recognized the voice as her best friend's. Relief washed over her as she heard at least one familiar voice. Her muscles relaxed a little as she leaned back into the pillow.

''Levy-chan, why is it so dark?'' Lucy questioned as she reached her hand towards the bluenette. She touched her face accidentally and noted the wetness on her cheeks. ''Hey, what's wrong?'' She asked in a worried voice.

''My child..'' She heard the wisdom filled voice of her master right in front of her. She felt a small weight on her leg and figured that was where Makarov was located/

''The lights _**are**_ on.'' As the words left the little man's mouth, Lucy's world went crashing down as the tears landed on the washed out sheets.

She was… blind?

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**_H_**e hated seeing girls cry, especially if they were crying because of him. He stepped out of the medicine tinted room into the connected balcony. He tried to drown out the sound that came out of the blonde's mouth as she poured her heart out. He knew he should be there to at least comfort the currently blind girl, but quite frankly, that would be weird considering they have never formally met before.

Mystogan overlooked the snow-covered scenery of Magnolia as he leaned on the railing. He comprehended his options on the matter. He just potentially destroyed her chances of ever becoming a great wizard, losing her house due to her inability to do jobs and losing her eyesight for the rest of her life, all because he was just that much paranoid.

'Nice going Jellal.' He thought bitterly to himself as he started to pace around the small plot as he listened for Porlyusica to return with the test results. There was still a small chance for her to regain her sight, and Mystogan bet everything on that. If the case was the worse and the more probable one, he didn't even imagine what to do.

Not a minute sooner he heard the balcony door slide open. Looking down, he saw the small form of his master near his knee. He smiled softly behind his mask at the gentle man who took him in. He had done so much for him yet he only gave misery in return. Makarov sighed as he stared up at the stoic man.

''I know you blame yourself for this but reall-''

''Master Makarov.'' Jellal cut him off politely. ''There is nothing you could say that would change my mind.'' o his surprise, Makarov grinned at him.

''Sheesh, my brats are so stubborn.'' He jumped onto the balcony railing, locking his hands behind his back. ''I am happy that you're taking responsibility over this even though you're not acquainted with Lucy or it was your fault for the terrible circumstances which fallowed your arrival.'' He leveled the tall bluenette with a defiant look. ''Which was not your fault I may add.''

''But master, if it wasn't for me, this wouldn't have happened.'' Mystogan stared grimly, his dark eyes shining with unhidden determination. ''If there is anything I could do..'' the little man rubbed his chin in thought, but his eyes carried a certain glow as a grin slowly appeared on his face.

''Well there is something..''

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**_T_**he blonde's hand rubbed the soothing metal of Erza's glove as she tried to take her mind off of things. She took in the calming words of her friends as the lady from before kept turning pages at a fast pace. The rustling didn't help Lucy's nerves at all. This might be one of the most stressful situations she has ever been in. She distinctly heard the balcony's door sliding open as light footsteps entered the infirmary.

''You got lucky.'' She was a bit startled as Porlyusica placed her wrinkled hand onto her shoulder, and Lucy wondered how the woman looked like. ''If you fallow my treatments, your eyesight should return in a few months or so.'' For the first time since she woke up, she heard her friends' cheerful voices once more. The Celestial mage's eyes widen as tears gathered at the brim, a content smile settling on her face. It was far better than losing her sight forever. She felt Erza moving closer to her, and suddenly her form was embraced in a bone crushing hug.

''Er-Erza, c-can't breathe..'' She stuttered out as the redhead released her from her death grip. ''My apologies, you should hit me.'' Lucy sweat dropped at the determination in her teammate's voice as she raised her hands defensively in the direction she knew Erza was. Her smile wavered as she realized she will not be able to see that confident expression on the other woman's face for a long period of time, but Lucy convinced herself that it was worth it.

Mystogan observed the now seemingly happy woman with a slight curl on his lips. He was glad, relieved even that it turned out for the best. He felt a slight shove on his leg and glanced down to the smiling little man. Jellal sighed softly, before stepping towards the occupied bed. His steps almost wavered as the room fell silent once more, and the blonde looked around questionably. He met the redhead's glare head on as she grabbed the sword strapped to her waist, but with one look from master made Erza soberly drop her hand from the weapon.

''Lucy-san.'' He called out and some stared in wonder, hearing the mysterious mage's voice for the first time. The said blonde tilted her head, trying to remember who the fairly deep voice belonged to. ''My name is Mystogan and I will be taking care of you for the time being.'' Gasps were heard all around the room as some of the occupants started to protest after this revelation. Jellal carefully studied the celestial mage's expression which turned to shocked then confused in a matter of seconds. The empty chocolate eyes which stared into empty space seemed to give him determination to continue.

''I am deeply, truly sorry that this happened to you on my behalf. If it wasn't for me none of this would have happened. This is the least I could do to make it up to you for the inconvenience.'' At least Erza looked pleased at his sincere apology, and he could bet that this was the longest he has spoken for a very long time. Lucy looked a little flustered at the apology given by this stranger but she still nodded lightly at his proposition. She bit the small smile back at the rare occurrence of proper language in this guild, aside from Erza.

''Hold it up!'' The pink haired dragon slayer's protest was met by the glare of Makarov who disapproved of this distrust between the guild members. ''Are you seriously going to hand Lucy over to this jerk?'' He asked harshly and the said bluenette shifted slightly. Master sighed, rubbing his wrinkled forehead and even Erza spared a tiny glare.

''Natsu, do you really mistrust one of our strongest and most loyal members? I can assure you Mystogan is more than capable for the job. Plus, he volunteered himself so quit your nagging child!'' His tone rose at the end and Natsu just gritted his teeth, his fists clenching uncontrollably and this time he looked at Lucy for her opinion. As if sensing the burning eyes on her, she turned her head to her partner's general direction. Natsu breathed in as the once shining eyes found his face, but not actually seeing him. She gave him a soft outspoken smile and he had no other option then to just let it go. Natsu backed off into the wall with a deep sigh, his nerves flying all over the place.

The pink haired woman rolled her ruby eyes at all these unnecessary dramatics. Humans will never change after all, always ruled by emotions and such. She stood from her chair and made a gesture to shoo the mages out of the room.

''Out, all of you! I still need to check on a few things before I can let her go and you're breaking my concentration!'' At that point, she took out a sweeping broom and poked anyone who protests to her wishes. Mystogan looked over his shoulder to the blonde woman and gave a soft smile, thankful that she forgave him.

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**A/N:** _MERRY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! Here's my present for you ;)_


	3. Kindness III

**Rating:**_ T for violence and gore, some swearing, OOC-ness too_

**Pairing:**_ Mystogan/Lucy_

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Fairy Tail in any shape, size or form. All rights go to Hiro Mashima._

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_**/Be·nig·ni·ta·tem/**_

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**Noun – Latin**

_The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate._

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_**W**_ith every crunch-filled step he took into the cool winter air, he realized just how unfitting he actually was for the job. He felt the warmth seep through his thin choice of clothing when the blonde woman gripped his arm more firmly, as once again, she almost slipped on a stray frozen puddle. He really didn't think this through inside out. He hadn't even realized just how vocal he has to be for the time being, because it wasn't enough to just nod or shake his head anymore.

''Be careful.'' He easily steered her body from yet another slippery area and Lucy looked up in the general direction of his face with a small, grateful smile. Mystogan soon realized, that she thought that he was somewhere around, or her own height because she kept staring at his neck area as if it was his face. Pulling out a small slip of paper from his cloak, he double checked the address to see if this was the right place. The light orange, cottage like apartment stared back at him and Mystogan realizing that it had a sort of home-y feel to it. Suddenly stopping, he swallowed down the hiss when the blonde's heel connected with his bare toes. Lucy jumped back a little when she realized the masked man has stopped walking, and she accidentally walked on him.

''Gomen!'' She called out, a light blush of embarrassment blooming onto her already red cheeks. She raised her hands, as if ready to cushion her impact if she fell down somehow. Mystogan shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck before grasping her smaller hand firmly.

''It's alright, we're already here.'' Lucy looked down gloomily as she realized she didn't even know that she was home without the other mage's guidance. She felt vulnerable. Her other hand went down to her belt where she rubbed the glistering keys attached to the leather. The familiar carved designs set her mind at ease a little; she was glad she could still tell apart one of the most important things in her possession. Jellal looked down at the short blonde who had a spaced out look on her face, before tugging on her hand. Lucy looked up at him with hallow eyes before closing them, relying more on her hearing. How she wished to be a dragon slayer at this point.

''Which is your door?'' The man's slightly deep voice was muffled by the creaking old wooden door and something else that she couldn't see. Lucy cleaned her soaked shoes on the doormat she knew she was standing on, before letting a thoughtful look to cross her features.

''Second door to the right.'' She answered quietly as she let herself be led by the mysterious man. She didn't have a single clue on how he looked, what he wore, or what magic he used. All she knew about him was that his name was Mystogan and that he was one of the most powerful mages in Fairy Tail. His voice wasn't anything to go by but Lucy could faintly recognize it from somewhere before.

Feeling the familiar material of her own doormat hitting her fury shoes, she silently dug up her house key. As the man placed the metal into the lock, Lucy pleasantly noted that this was honestly the first time someone has entered her house through the door like they were supposed to. Hearing the faint clicking of her door being unlocked, the celestial mage smiled faintly, happy to finally come home. She felt Mystogan's gloved hand push her back slightly, ushering her to go in first.

Walking in, the almost instant warmth of her heated apartment greeted the blonde. Brushing off the last fluffy white snow off of her coat, she tried to unravel herself from the clutches of her soft scarf wrapped around her neck. She admitted to herself that dressing and undressing was quite hard when you didn't see what you were doing, so that's why she let Mira dress her up. She now realized just what a mistake that was.

''Here, let me assist you.'' She heard Jellal's voice from somewhere to her left and she sighed, defeated. Soon she felt cool, clothed fingers tangle into her hair as Mystogan pulled the strands out of the maze she made out of her pastel pink scarf. Lucy held her breath as the annoying material lifted up from her shoulders with the help of the masked mage. She could feel her face heating up appreciably when she felt his fingertips brushing out the last remaining snowflakes out of her hair.

The bluenette just couldn't help it. The sense of nostalgia from taking care of someone again filled his being completely. For a split second, he saw midnight blue instead of golden locks, yet once he took a double take, Lucy's pupil-less eyes attempted to stare up at him instead of the childish ones he was so used to. He took the blazing burning in her cheeks as a sign that he was invading her personal space too much, so with a matching red face he stepped back, happy that his mask hid his embarrassment. Not that that was very effective, considering she couldn't even see him.

''So..'' He looked down at her, hearing her meek voice laced with uncertainty. He gave a light cough to break the awkward atmosphere before sizing Lucy up. A few coffee stains decorated her slightly torn up shirt, with a couple of dried blood stains here and there. Mystogan figured that she wasn't even aware that she was cut up this bad before. Porlyusica really knew how to do her job right, and he was grateful for that.

''We need to clean you up.'' He butted in, heading straight to the matter at hand. Lucy felt up her collarbone, before a scowl settled on her face when her fingers started to stick together. ''Ew..'' She muttered in disgusted as she realized her whole body was covered with the sticky substance. She faced his way, with a nervous expression placed on her heart shaped face. Even though he was slightly socially awkward, he knew what she was about to ask of him so he gave another light cough.

''You can summon one of your spirits for that particular matter.'' He suggested and Lucy felt relieved with the suggestion. He noticed the warmth filled gleam in her inactive eyes as she felt up the set of keys she had strapped on herself, and Mystogan could bet that she really didn't need his guidance when it came to her spirits. When Lucy plucked a beautifully carved golden key from the ring, the masked mage silently stepped out of her way, just in case.

''Gate of the maiden, I open thee, Virgo!'' Mystogan stared in silent wonder as a young pink haired woman in a maid's outfit appeared out of a golden magic circle cast by the blonde. 'So this is a celestial spirit..' The male mage mused as the spirit started to fuss over Lucy's current state, which haunted Mystogan to no end. His dark eyes stared wordlessly through the gap of his mask and bandana, straight at the panicky blonde. She was just so full of light, even when she couldn't see anything.

''I'll be right back.'' The bluenette excused himself. The blonde turned her head at the direction of her front door while her spirit looked over just as Mystogan closed the door gently.

''Where is he going?'' Lucy asked no one in particular, but Virgo took this as a serious question. The blonde felt the warmth of the other woman disappear as she stood up next to her.

''I'll find out for you, princess.'' The owner sweat dropped as she motioned the masochistic spirit to sit down next to her once again. Virgo stared down at her vulnerable master, and felt the pity wash over her.

''Would you like to punish me then? It might make princess feel better.'' The pinkette advised but Lucy firmly shook her head at the maiden spirit. Why couldn't she realize that she wasn't interested in that kinky stuff? Just the thought made her cheeks burn slightly. ''No thank you Virgo but, could you.. Help me bathe?'' Her voice lowered an octave or two as her face continued to burn, putting Erza's fiery hair in shame. The spirit silently bowed, before realizing that her master couldn't see it.

''Of course princess, follow me.'' The maiden gently grasped Lucy's hand, acting like she would break any moment now. The blonde's teeth clenched together as she sighed in pure frustration. She stayed quiet the whole way to the bathroom, begrudgingly accepting the fact that from now on she'll even have to rely on someone to take a simple bath. Once she entered the slightly misty bathroom of her house, she silently wondered where the man had gone off to, before Virgo shut the door closed.

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_**F**_or the first time since this morning, Lucy felt fresh again. She, quite forcibly, closed Virgo's key after the pinkette embarrassingly enough, dressed the blonde up. Lucy hated this feeling of helplessness as she felt her way around the bathroom, looking for the gold colored door knob. Finally grasping it, she turned the handle with a victorious smile on her face.

She hadn't even heard when Mystogan returned but by the sound of it, he was making himself quite at home.

''What are you doing?'' Lucy called out curiously as she heard her coffee table being pushed around the room. The masked mage turned his head towards the now squeaky clean blonde before pressing the small table to the wall.

''I'm clearing up the furniture so you won't injure yourself while I'm not here.'' He answered curtly before making his way to the blonde who raised an eyebrow at him, staring into the place from which he previously spoken from. She jumped mindlessly as his cloak brushed her hand unexpectedly, and Lucy thought for sure this guy could float by how soundlessly he moved.

''I thought you were staying here?'' She asked, turning her head at the direction she thought he stood at.

''I am.'' Surprisingly, he answered from right beside her, making her squeal lightly. The Edolas counterpart raised a questionable eyebrow at the easily frightened blonde, before pushing the light pink sofa out of harm's way using his knees. He tried to clear the room up as widely as possible, so Lucy wouldn't bump her legs on anything. Just the thought of it made Jellal shiver, thinking of all the ways the blonde could break her neck on the seemingly harmless piece of furniture.

''Try to go to your bedroom from here.'' Lucy nodded firmly at the other mage's request. She spun around by the ball of her foot, walking back from the direction she came from. Mystogan sat on the floor, watching silently as the blonde struggled to walk around her own house. Lucy bit the inside of her cheek, feeling like a kid playing a game with a blindfold, only difference was she didn't want to play at all. Feeling up the familiar pattern of her living room's wallpaper, she slowly trailed her fingers through the wall, looking for the entrance. The male continued to observe, calculating where to move what to make the blonde's new living conditions easier. Moving at a slow pace, Lucy slowly, but surely felt the edge of a doorway. She almost cried out in joy when she felt the familiar fuzziness of her bedroom's carpet.

But Lucy's happiness was short lived when she heard her new companion telling her to go to the kitchen.

Mystogan bit back a smile when she heard the blonde cursing silently under her breath as she strutted slowly around like a blind chicken. She came closer to him with outstretched arms and Jellal self-consciously shrunk himself into the couch's armrest. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his legs as his feet tangled with Lucy's. Acting fast, he quickly dove beneath the blonde, cushioning her fall. Both groaned similarly as the celestial mage slowly got up from Mystogan's back, who cursed his awful luck he had today.

''Gomen Mystogan-san, I-I didn't notice you again..'' She muttered guiltily as the man stood up, pulling her up too by her frail hands. He took hold of her waist with his gloved hands before tossing Lucy into the air, earning a shriek. The bluenette almost effortlessly threw her over his shoulder, holding onto her tightly.

''H-Hey! What are you doing?'' The blonde protest as she felt the S-class mage starting to move, before frowning as she grasp the dark material of his cloak between her slim fingers. It would seem he doesn't have a knack for fashion all that much, and for the what seemed like the fifth time that day, Lucy wondered how the guy looked like.

Even with her eyes opened, the scenery remained the same as if they were closed. On the bright side, she was starting to make out the slight change in lights as they passed several scattered light bulbs in her apartment here and there. Suddenly, the man maneuvered Lucy into his arms, before placing her softly on the pink sheets of her bed. The blonde grasped the familiar material tightly as she tried to regain her orientation.

''You should rest Lucy-san, I'll finish clearing the rest of the house tomorrow.'' Mystogan stated in a low, quiet voice, as he observed the struggling blonde. She placed the blanket the other way around over her body and was now lying awkwardly, her feet sticking out. She stared into space, defeated. She didn't know what she was doing anymore; she couldn't even tug herself to bed!

''This sucks..'' She muttered as hot tears of frustration leaked out of her empty eyes. Jellal stared in panic as he awkwardly fixed his mask in place. He had zero experience in these types of situations, and knowing that he was the indirect cause of this girl's crying, caused his heart to ache dully. Lucy heard the man beside her shift, before a gloved finger made contact with her cheek. Wiping the tears gently away, a wave of nostalgia hit Mystogan as he took the blanket off of the blonde, before placing it the right way. Tugging the fully grown woman into the bed as comfortably as he could manage, a soft smile settled onto his face as the sobs died down in Lucy's throat.

''I know, but bear with me for a while?'' He requested quietly as he pushed himself to his feet. A weak nod from Lucy was all he needed before he flicked off the light switch and quietly closed the door. Stepping into his sandals that he had discarded near the door priory, he pulled out the key that the celestial mage has previously given him. Locking the door and making sure it will stay tightly shut - preventing any stray burglars from robbing the oblivious blonde - he pulled out a nearly identical key to hers. Walking a full five feet from her door, he shoved the other key into the opposite apartment's lock.

It would seem that he didn't have a choice but to stay as close to the blonde as possible, if the situation ever arises where she urgently needed him, and this was the closest he willed himself to be. He was the type of person who preferred solitude, and with Lucy under his wing, he's going to take as much alone time as he could. Throwing the keys onto the identical coffee table as the blonde's he kicked his shoes off near the staves he discarded before returning to Lucy's apartment.

70,000 jewels was a fairly good price for an apartment complex such as this, and he hadn't lived in an actual house for such a long time that he felt slightly alien in a place where he could sleep without bugs and whatnot disturbing him in his sleep. Lying down onto the bare mattress, he pulled off his disguise, letting the bandana and the cloth he always wore over his face to slide from his fingertips onto the wooden hardboard.

Today, he will allow himself for once to sleep peacefully.

Closing his tired eyes, the image of blank chocolate orbs greeted him in dreamland.

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	4. Politeness IV

**Rating:**_ T for violence and gore, some swearing, OOC-ness too_

**Pairing:**_ Mystogan/Lucy_

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Fairy Tail in any shape, size or form. All rights go to Hiro Mashima._

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_**/Ur·ba·ni·ta·te/**_

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**Noun – Latin**

_showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.; courteous; civil_

_refined or cultured_

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''_**Y**_ou almost poked my eye out.''

''Sorry!'' Lucy squeaked out, trailing her fingertips over Gray's cool cheeks instead. The first week of December finally came and her teammates decided to do a little something similar to camping.

Onstage in the guild hall.

The celestial mage just prayed that a flying oversized object wouldn't connect with her head, but the giant furry blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders gave some sense of reassurance that it'll be alright. Tracing her fingers over the length of the ice mage's closed right eye as gently as possible, Lucy's mouth opened slightly ajar.

''So this is how droopy eyes 'look' like.'' She breathed out in wonder as Natsu burst out laughing in the space next to her. She felt Gray's face tense under her touch, making her quickly withdraw her hands. Just when the blonde let him go, she could hear soft pillows hitting and idle groaning before the scarlet haired woman roared at the long-time rivals.

''Enough! Both of you!'' Not only did the opposite magic users quieted down, but the rest of the guild too. Lucy just knew that her fellow guild mates were staring at Team Natsu weirdly, and for once was glad that she couldn't see the looks on their faces. Soon enough, the chatter returned and the blonde heaved a sigh of relief. She turned her head slightly when she heard light footsteps walking up the stairs to the stage.

''Oh, Levy.'' Erza greeted with a light smile tugging her face.

The bluenette observed the 'strongest team' before her face went blank. The four of them were in their pyjamas while Natsu laid beneath a fort of pillows built by Gray. And to top it off, the salmon haired man was roasting fish-formed marshmallows with Happy using his fired up fist.

''What exactly are you guys doing..?'' She asked, uncertain if she really wanted to know the answer. Natsu shot up, making the fort collapse onto what seemed to be a sleeping bag beneath him. He wrapped his arm around the oblivious blonde who turned her head to her teammate, eyes lingering unfocused onto his neck area.

''We're going to find out what Mystogan looks like!'' He exclaimed happily, most likely deafening Lucy in the progress. The blonde rubbed her sensitive ear gently, her face controlled into an annoyed look meant for the loud-mouthed fire mage.

''You retard! Watch your tone!''

''Make me droopy eyes!''

Lucy sighed before shuffling to her female teammate's side, too tired to be caught up in another fight between the two. She felt Erza place a comforting hand on her shoulder which made her relax slightly.

''And how are you going to do that?'' The script mage questioned, not bothering to hide the intrigue from her voice. The two boys paused their fighting for a minute, before Natsu answered with a grin on his face.

''Luce here will see his face for us.'' He pointed at the fidgeting blonde who bit her lip nervously. Levy sat down next to Lucy with a confused expression.

''But Lu-chan can't…'' She trailed off anxiously, not really knowing if her best friend was sensitive about the unseeing factor or not. It made her sad in a way that they don't get to spend as much as time together like they used to, not with Team Natsu guarding her like a precious porcelain doll every time the mysterious S-class mage dropped her off at the guild from late morning till dusk.

Almost every day, the masked man came by the guild with Lucy in tow, took a fairly easy job request and returned to pick her up at the evenings. The reason for that was that Lucy didn't want to stay alone while Mystogan was off doing god-knows-what, so they made a deal to leave the celestial mage at the guild for a few hours in the care of whichever friend was available. It seemed to satisfy the both of them quite nicely so Levy didn't comment.

Although some days Lucy felt like a small child waiting to be picked up by her parents, it was still better than lazing around in bed all day. Besides, she missed her friends, even though she had the masked man as company and sometimes Virgo, that wasn't enough for her occasionally.

''No I can't, but Natsu and Gray are letting me practice on them to 'see' with my hands.'' Lucy explained, but she could feel the confusion radiating from Levy in waves, so she felt around for Natsu.

''Like this..'' She placed her hands on his face, and the pinkette closed his eyes cautiously.

''A slight rounded but narrow face.. Slanted eyes.. Thin eyebrows.. Rather small nose.. Spiky hair..'' As she commented, she trailed the tips of her fingers over said body part and Natsu snorted when he heard distinct laughter. He opened one eye and saw the ice mage chuckling at him, which made him more annoyed by the second but with one look from the Titania, he shut his eye closed immediately.

Levy stared back in wonder at her best friend as she continued to list off the pinkette's characteristics. She looked around the guild, trying to spy out the targeted mage before frowning.

''Where is Mystogan right now?'' She asked the blonde who held a thoughtful look on her face.

''Not sure, probably on a job, considering he pays my rent too.''

''Eh? Why?'' The tiny female burst forward, hearing the news for the first time. Suddenly, the blue exceed who was munching on his melting sugary delight flew a full circle above Lucy's head.

''Because he liiiiiiiikes her~'' Happy rolled his tongue expertly and the celestial mage flushed a brilliant scarlet. She threw her hands in the air, attempting to swap the little cat that dove down into Erza's lap for safety.

''Lies!'' Lucy denied. ''He said it's because he felt guilty that I couldn't go on jobs by myself anymore so he'll pay the rent for me.'' The blonde fiddled with her fingers nervously and the scarlet haired woman nodded in approval.

''It is only fitting, although..'' She trailed off, with a serious glint lightening in her dark chocolate eyes. ''Who knows what you two are doing behind closed doors?'' She voiced out her wonders as the blonde's face glowed red, accompanied by the laughter of her friends.

''Not you too!''

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_**S**_he bit back the small whine that almost escaped her lips when the takeover mage pulled her hair roughly by accident. Mira mumbled a slight apology as she wrapped the woollen scarf around the flustered blonde. Looking behind Lucy's shoulder, she could make out the tall, hooded figure leaning on the door frame, which made a slight smile blossom on her rosy lips.

''Are you done, Mira-san?'' The celestial mage's muffled question seemed to snap Mira from her slight trance, before she placed the matching fur trimmed hat onto her golden colored head. Grasping her gloved hand, which hid her pink guild mark from sight, the pin-up girl of Fairy Tail maneuvered them both through the rowdy hall. As they reached the heavy, wooden gate-sized entrance of the guild, the white haired woman felt the crispy winter air hit her bare shoulders making her shudder.

''Ow..'' Lucy mumbled lightly as she hit her little toe on the side of one of the tables. When the wind rushed through her hair, the blonde knew she was outside so she paid extra attention to her footing. She felt the feminine motherly grasp disappear, causing a light disorientation to befall on the blonde. Suddenly, a large, gloved hand landed across her forearm that made her feel stable on the slippery ground.

''Thanks..'' She muttered up to Mystogan, who looked down at the seemingly short blonde.

He noticed the light returning into her once bright chocolate doe eyes. That could only mean that her condition was getting better by the day, which made him happy in a sense. Trailing his hand down from her forearm to her equally gloved hand, he gave a reassuring squeeze. Lucy took a deep breath of the icy air, before taking a few steps forward with the help of the masked man, squeaking once her feet just seemed to give out.

Lucy raised her hands up to shield herself from the impact, but it never came. She felt warm, reassuring arms wrap around her tiny waist, making her flush scarlet. Catching her footing, the celestial mage turned her hallow gaze to the ground. She took a small step before flinching back in pain. The S-class mage whipped his head back to look at his unlikely companion, before his concern gaze landed on her right foot.

''You twisted your ankle.'' It was more of a statement than anything else. Lucy rubbed her throbbing foot lightly, before feeling an alien weight rest on her shoulder. Turning her head in question, she felt around and soon discovered that it was actually his Magic Staves strapped onto a piece of material that currently hanged over her covered shoulder.

''Mystogan-san, what are you doing?'' She heard the snow crushing somewhere in front of her before coming to a halt a foot or so from her. A small girlish yelp escaped her lips when she felt his gloved hands on the back of her tights. She was sure that her heated face could provide enough warmth for her to go outside without any clothes whatsoever.

''Jump.'' He commanded and she hesitantly complied.

She squeaked joyfully like a child as her legs once again lost footing as Mystogan raised her up onto his back. She instantly wrapped her arms around his neck as to not fall off when the S-Class mage started walking once more.

He carried her in a comfortable silence as the puffy snowflakes fell down on them from the inky black evening sky. She wouldn't admit it but she enjoyed the unexpected piggyback ride a little too much. She felt like she was a little girl once more, begging for somebody to carry her through the rose gardens of the Heartfilia mansion in a warm summer day. A melancholic smile graced her face when she thought back to the rare occasions both of her parents did something childlike with her. The time she lost when she was a child with her family after her mother's death seemed to fill up with the newly made memories with her guild mates.

And this was one of them.

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''_**W**_e're here.'' The masked man stated gruffly as he slowly placed her back on her feet. The blonde hissed a little, desperately clawing for something to support her. She soon found the man's hand who guided her down the hall to her apartment. A few seconds passed and Lucy could make out the faint sound of her new neighbour who fumbled lightly with her lock. Feeling a warm breeze fly past by her, she limped into her opened house.

By some miracle, Mystogan's constructed plan to move out the furniture prevented her from injuring herself even further. Said man came closer to the slightly crippled blonde who just stood there, looking into the distance but not actually seeing it. With one quick movement, he pulled the furry hat from the blonde strand covered head, quickly followed by the matching scarf. Gently lowering his Staves from her person, he waited awkwardly for her to fully remove her coat before she handed it for him to put away.

Hooking one hand over her jean-clad leg, Mystogan lifted Lucy up, pressing her to his chest. Another adorable squeak escaped her mouth causing a small smile to sketch onto his usually stoic face. He had grown accustomed to the sound over the time they spent together.

Placing her carefully onto the pastel pink couch, he carefully removed her right boot, making the deflated blush on Lucy's face to return.

''What are you doing..?'' She trailed off as his frequently gloved hands softly massaged her right throbbing foot. Heaving a sigh of relief at the ease her injured leg felt, Lucy relaxed back into her soft pink pillow laid behind her back. A few minutes passed in an unintentional awkward silence as Mystogan tried his best to ease the blonde's pain.

''You know you don't have to do this, Mystogan.'' He didn't even realize just how many times he had to request for her to stop adding honourable suffixes to his fake moniker and honestly he understood her reasons - being practically strangers and her secretly being raised as a lady. He felt as if living for quite some time now should've broke the ice between them both, but Jellal felt strangely unnerved in the blonde's presence.

He couldn't quite place his finger on it but every time the Celestial mage looked at him – or rather where she thought he was – and gave him this warm smile that he quickly noticed to be her most usual expression, his heart clenched uncontrollably.

Was this guilt he felt for her really that consuming?

''No,'' he quickly denied, placing her covered foot onto the armrest ''I want to.'' He stated, not leaving anymore room for arguments from the blonde. Mystogan stood to his feet and scanned his guildmate with a calculating expression behind his dark mask. With the way her swollen foot looked, he doubted that she'll be able to walk around as easily as before, considering her lack of eyesight too. Lucy bit her bottom lip and nodded slightly in understanding, making her damp blonde locks fly over her shoulders.

''Lucy.. If it doesn't make you too uncomfortable, I'll be staying here for the night.'' Said woman's head shot up as she looked at the direction the deep baritone rang from.

''Eh? Why?'' She questioned with a slight confused frown on her face.

Hearing a sigh from the mask man, Lucy's eyebrows knitted together further. ''Because I'm afraid of leaving you alone in such a state.'' He simply stated as he sat beside the lounging blonde, dipping the sofa in the progress. Lucy's eyes flashed in anger, but she didn't voice her dismay out loud.

She felt like a child once more, having somebody to take care of her. All those servants in the lonely mansion that used to crowd over her when she nearly took a step forward outside by herself. This was something similar, but a lot more complicated. She knew that the S class mage was right. She didn't grasp the full interior of her own house and one small misplace of her foot could send her tumbling down to the wood covered ground of her apartment. But still, she felt as though he was taking care of a small frail child than a capable woman such as herself, but with her exhaustion due to a day with the lively guild known as Fairy Tail, her mind refused to think any more of it.

''Okay then, you can have the couch.'' She replied with a yawn ripping through her throat. Hearing an approving grunt from her neighbour, she felt the weight on the pastel pink sofa disappear as the male once again swept her off her feet. Her own two arms wrapped around his neck on their own accord, and Lucy was yet again mildly disturbed by the amount of cloth she felt wrapped around the mysterious man who carried her off to bed.

''Aren't you hot?'' She questioned as her unfocused eyes landed on where his head should be located. Jellal's breath hitched in his throat at the blonde's very sudden question, making him stammer his response slightly. ''W-What do you mean?''

''It feels like you're ready to journey to the Land of Isvan with the way you dress.'' She teased lightly. To prove her point, she trailed her small hand over his cheek, not all too surprised at the feeling of a cloth hiding half of his face. A lot of people mentioned that Mystogan never actually showed his face to anyone but the master, which was partly the reason why he used sleeping charms during his rare arrivals.

But why?

The question kept nagging at her all the way from her living room to the edge of her bed. The man seemed to tense at the contact of her skin on his clothed cheek, which seemed to heighten his pace slightly. Lucy got the hint when she felt the slight wind blowing her hair into her face, tickling her cheeks. Sighing, Jellal laid the Celestial mage onto the pink covers as she pulled out one of her keys from the key ring.

They came to a silent mutual agreement that all the toiletries and dressings will be performed without his help, but rather with the maiden spirit who was more than happy to assist her master. With one last glance at the currently glowing room, he bid a timid goodbye to the blonde, who returned his farewells with her own slightly more enthusiastic wishing's for him to get a goodnight's rest.

Closing the yellow glow filled room's door behind him, the bluenette heaved a tired sigh as the cloth around his face came off between his fingers at last. A slight smirk curled on his face as the muffled argument between master and spirit continued for a good ten minutes. By the time the two women quieted down, Mystogan's defences almost fell off completely. Shifting his body around the small couch to get at least some sense of comfort, the bluenette listened carefully for the blonde's words to die down for the night, before he too let sleep conquer him.

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	5. Closeness V

**Rating:** _T for violence and gore, some swearing, OOC-ness too_

**Pairing:** _Mystogan/Lucy_

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Fairy Tail in any shape, size or form. All rights go to Hiro Mashima._

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_**/Pro·pin·qui·tas/**_

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**Noun – Latin**

_the spatial property resulting from a relatively small distance_

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_**E**_ven though it was midday, the only sound emitting from the blonde celestial mage's room was soft sighing. Lucy raised her fingers in the air, as if to examine them, yet all she could see was darkness before her eyes and slight blurs here and there, rather than the red blotches she should have seen.

That was progress.

She rubbed her finger pads together with a light hum. The blonde had been practicing braille for the past few days from the stacks and stacks of books Levy gave her to keep her busy. Ever since she twisted her ankle not two days ago, Mystogan prohibited her from walking around in case she bumped into something while he was away. Honestly, she wasn't an old coot, yet without flexing her muscles for a long period of time she felt like she belong with those elderly noble ladies that she had seen with her mother a long time ago. Lucy complained, asking for Porlyusica to come over, but the masked man reminded her that the pink haired woman only left her secluded home if it was absolutely necessary.

She didn't doubt that her fingerprints have faded from the amount of times she brushed them over the rough, embossed paper. She had been grazing the small risen spots for the last few hours. She gradually got familiar with the mappings, but her reading rate was poor at best. Sighing once again, Lucy stashed her book away to the corner of her desk, carefully as to not push something over.

She placed her crossed arms on the hard wooden surface, leaning her head down on the makeshift pillow. She tilted her injured foot in boredom, feeling the pattern of the cushion it was resting on lightly. Lucy tended to get bored quickly when she was alone, a habit she picked up ever since she was little. Now that she couldn't even see, it made the boredom increase by ten folds. She felt the heated sun rays on her skin, yet she couldn't see the usual light that came with it. She reached out towards her pocket, fishing out her celestial spirit keys. Tracing the patterns of the different metals, she felt the clock arrow graze her fingertip, giving the spirit out.

''Open gate of the clock, Horologium!'' A doorbell-like sound resounded in the quiet room as the celestial mage inhaled the minor smoke that emitted from the clock spirit's arrival. Lucy gave a gentle smile as she picked up the sound of Horologium's mechanisms moving. ''Hey Horologium, mind telling me the time?'' Lucy greeted happily as she turned her whole body to the direction the celestial spirit should be. She didn't often use her trusty silver key due to her new teammates complaining about her sheltering herself inside him more than it was necessary, but in these past few weeks it became a tradition of theirs of sort.

Because unlike the major – if not all – portion of her friends, she couldn't even tell the damn time by herself.

''Certainly, Lucy-san.'' The grandfather clock spirit stated. She heard his arrows turning in alarming speed, changing his set time to Earthland's, ''It's 3:51PM.'' Lucy nodded in response, looking at nothing in particular. Mystogan should show up soon to take her to her weekly appointments with Porlyusica. The old woman was doing the best she could to help her, and she was very grateful for that. With her help, they reassured Lucy that she'll regain her sight fully in a matter of months if they were lucky.

The celestial mage chatted with her friend for a while, before thanking him once more for his services as he dispelled back to the Spirit World. The blonde relaxed her head into her comfy headrest, counting the seconds until her 'caretaker' – as Cana so proudly dubbed him – came back from one of his missions that he so often took up.

She didn't quite understand him, to be completely honest.

He was quiet, in an overly polite way, yet very kind deep down from what his words and body language spoke of. He seemed like a decent man and an overly powerful mage as far as she knew. So that made her mind reel in wonder; why – aside from her and a select few – did he avoid associating with his guildmates? It's not like the members of Fairy Tail disliked one of their S-Class mages or something – they were actually quite curious about the man themselves. From what Lucy heard countless of times, when he came to drop her off and get her from the guild, it was the first time they saw more than a glimpse of him. Some of the guild members saw him for the first time then and there, despite the masked man's hold of the residential poster boy's title for a handful of years.

Lucy's brows knitted into a confused frown as details she had and hadn't noticed flooded her mind like an unwanted tsunami. Mystogan was something of an enigma in and out, no matter what way she looked at the matter. He was socially detached, more than it was often acceptable. He didn't socialize with his fellow guildmates, nor has he shown his face to them. Those details led Lucy to believe he had a rough past that prevented him from trusting people or he had gotten into a freak accident which made him wary of his own face. Or in worst case scenario, he was a criminal escapee which sheltered in the heart of one of Fiore's strongest guilds.

She shuddered at the prospect of almost living with a possible thief or murderer, vulnerable to the stark.

Letting the matter of Mystogan fly out of her train of thoughts, she massaged her slightly sore neck with the hand she knew her guild mark rested on. The pink ink marring her skin always gave her a sense of comfort, even though she couldn't see the detailed image of a fairy's tail. Her thoughts trailed to her ruthless father, who wasn't even concern where his heir was or the condition she was in. She wondered what expression would form on his already aging face as he'd gaze at her unseeing, brown eyes, which were void of the twinkling pupils as far as she knew.

Would he even care, or be angered? No, he'd probably would, she knew it deep down, he would. The third month of her stay as a full-fledged mage at one of the best guilds Fiore had to offer rolled by, with her being out of commission for the longest part. Either she could see or not, she knew that the warm and domestic smiles were placed on each and every one of her new family's lips as she greeted them every possible morning. She felt like she was with the family she had once, before her mother's death, yet still so different from that. Lucy wouldn't trade the new bonds she made for anything, even if a second chance from her father was presented to her. She knew that the Heartfilias will never be restored to the lovable family it once prospered as, so why even try? Still, her father might not realize the futility of any attempts he had to get her back for whatever reason. She doubted that he would try anything soon.

Oh, how wrong she was.

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''_**L**_ucy..'' She felt a gloved hand gently connect with the exposed surface of her skin. She felt goosebumps form on her forearm as she slowly opened her eyes. Not that it would do her much good. She grasped the hand resting on her shoulder with her own, feeling bandages wrapped around the person's wrist.

''Mystogan?'' She asked sleepily, scratching the back of her blonde mane of hair. A light chuckled resounded in her room, as if the answer was obvious already. Lucy blushed at her own words, before pushing herself up by the armrests of her chair into a proper sitting position.

''Careful.'' He warned her in his deep voice like he so often did as she swayed when the bare pads of her feet connected with the icy cold surface of the wooden floor. Getting to her feet clumsily, she flinched as her slightly throbbing foot received more pressure than it could handle at the moment. Mystogan released a soft sigh as his hand grazed her back, the other hand snaking around the back of her knees.

Lucy bit down a yelp at the all too familiar sudden feeling of his muscular chest pressing against one of her sides. Even in mid-winter, the S-Class mage seemed to wear inappropriately light clothing for the freezingly cold days of the last two weeks. He carried her to the other side of her house; all the while making her feel light and not heavy like Happy claimed her to be by the amount of ease his hands felt when he held her like this.

Placing her gently on the cushions of her pink sofa, he went to retrieve her winter clothes, which were stacked by the hanger near her front door. Lucy waited patiently for her neighbour to come back, swinging her legs up and down. She heard light footsteps closing in on her, before her sofa dipped with the weight of the masked mage.

''I'm sure you can put these on without my help.'' He stated with a lilt of amusement mixed with playfulness in his voice. Lucy looked up in his direction in surprise before smiling gently as she felt the scratchy material of her woollen socks land in her outstretched palm. She could count on both of her hands all the times Mystogan went out of his way to make her at ease, even though it made him rather uncomfortable. He wasn't much for joking around, much less socializing if it wasn't absolutely necessary for him to do so. But she noticed that the mood between them slowly, but surely started to shift into a much lighter, friendlier direction than it originally was.

She was finishing pulling up her furry boot with slight difficulty due to the thickness her bandages plus her socks gave her, as she felt her pale cream coat land over her shoulders. She slung her hands in the holes of her coat, feeling the welcoming warmness enter her body. Instead of the usual hat she wore, Mystogan slung a pair of earmuffs over her ears. She tilted her head in slight confusion before he answered for her. ''Today is a rather warm day.''

''Ah,'' She muttered as she flexed her fingers that were safely tucked in her white gloves, ''What time is it?'' She asked him, looking up at the direction his voice came from. She heard a slight shuffle as the man glanced back into her living room before standing right in front of her.

''4:24PM.'' He said as he extended his hand towards hers, tangling their fingers together. Lucy fought back the blush that started to creep from the crook of her neck and was glad for the pure white earmuffs for shielding her red ears from Mystogan's view. Lulling her head down, it looked like she was staring at the tip of her boots, yet she didn't actually see them. She was glad that the extra soft layers covering her injured foot softened up the soreness.

''Let's go, Porlyusica is waiting.'' Mystogan's slightly muffled voice rang in her head as he tugged on her hand gently. Lucy followed him out of her front door, pausing slightly when he stopped to lock her apartment. She heard the familiar rattle of keys meeting each other before the masked man tugged them safely away into one of his many pockets.

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_**I**_t was warm, she'd admit.

The slight dampness seeping through her heavy winter boots indicated that the heavy layer of puffy white snow has melted down a fairly good amount. The afternoon sun shone down on them, she could tell. She could see the same annoying brightness that she used to see every morning if the nastily angry sunrise shone down on her sleeping face. It was slightly annoying, she'll admit, but it was something. At first, even in the strongest brightness, she just saw pitch black after all.

Warmth seeped into her left side as hers and Mystogan's tangled arms drew slightly nearer. She could tell that they had reached the edge of the forest where the retired Medicinal Advisor's treehouse was located in. Her feet got caught a few times in the braches, causing the older mage to tighten his hold, locking their forearms in an iron grip.

''So..'' The blonde started, trying to lighten up the more than awkward silence between the two. ''What color are your eyes?'' She inquired curiously, followed by a raised golden eyebrow. She felt the muscles in his arm tense, making her wish to see the normally stoic mage's expression at that very moment.

''What?'' He asked, caught off guard by the sudden piqued interest in his hidden appearance. Lucy drew in a breath, followed by a soft roll of her shoulders as they unconsciously slowed down their pace. ''I just want to know, because it's hard not to wonder how the person you spend so much time with looks like.'' She stated, amusement dripping from the light tone of her voice.

She looked up in the general direction his face would be with slightly pleading, hallow eyes. She knew that the unfathomed silence meant he was actually contemplating telling her, which made her smile in slight triumph. The tension seemed to slowly leave his form as he took a larger step forward, making Lucy stumble slightly.

''…'' He looked down at her with a slight deer in the headlights kind of look gracing his partly hidden face, before he sighed altogether. ''Brown.'' He said simply, hoping that the blonde would drop the topic soon.

She didn't.

''Brown, huh..'' She murmured with a satisfied smile brightening her face. ''Like mine?'' She asked, unable to mask the excitement she was feeling. Mystogan raised a thin blue eyebrow at the blonde's cheeriness at the aspect of knowing his colors. He supposed it wouldn't hurt too much…

Unless she asked about his hair color, that would be too unsafe.

''Kind of.'' He answered stiffly as they moved through another set of giant branches and bushes covering the forest path. He half expected for her to continue her interrogation, but she seemed to be satisfied with the little bit of information she received from him. As a sort-of author, her mind reeled with mental images with boys with slightly big brown eyes, all the while changing face structures and other details. She knew it was a little bit risky to ask Mystogan for more details, so she settled on an image of a boy with a youngish face, accomplished with a pair of almost big doe eyes.

But the body structure and the deepness of his voice didn't fit the image at all.

The blonde wanted to grip her golden locks in aggravation and frustration, yet she knew she'd look like a madwoman. ''Careful now.'' Mystogan said, his arm pulling her closer to his side before she was completely flushed against him.

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''_**O**_w.'' She moaned in discomfort when she felt the burn behind her eyelids. She was rested on the not so soft mattress of the pink haired woman, gripping the wooden edges of the bed as if it was her only lifeline. She could make out the woman clicking her tongue in annoyance at her, yet she didn't comment on Lucy's almost non-existent durability with pain. The celestial mage's nose wrinkled with distaste as the smell of the god awful healing herb placed on her closed eyelids caught in her nose.

It smelled like something died, returned to life, died again and rotted away with the sewerage rats. Okay, it might've been not _that_ bad, but Lucy's irritation levels were raised sky high as she itched to take away the offensive herb from her face. She heard the faint, deep chuckle of her friend, who stood several feet from her bed, lingering by the doorway as he usually did, as if ready to flee at any moment.

Jellal observed his blonde accomplice as she struggled to not wipe away the horrid greenery from her creamy face. He could understand her full heartily, as the stench of Porlyusica's herbs even met his covered nostrils. Fixing his staves in a more comfortable position, he went to stand besides Lucy as she moaned in annoyance once more.

He felt the judgmental gaze of the elderly woman burning at the back of his head, as if reminding him not to get too close, yet it was hard. She was one of the few friends he ever had. She resembled Wendy – a young dragon slayer like their residential Salamander – in several ways, the most prominent being him taking care of her. Yet they had polar opposite quirks that made them stand out from one another as night and day. One being, that Jellal didn't view Lucy in the same brotherly fashion as he did with Wendy.

That was dangerous.

She was creeping up to him more and more every single day, yet it felt like his grave was getting dug deeper and deeper with each passing moment by her side. He had to stay away from her, as long as he allowed himself to. He still had to be with the blonde for a long period of time though, which could cause unneeded complications for the bluenette.

Well, not completely unneeded, he supposed.

'' Porlyusica-san,'' The blonde all but whined, turning her head to his person slightly, ''can I take it off now?'' she asked the former medicinal advisor with the politest tone she could conjure in her aggravated state. Her eyes stung like all of her long lashes fell into them. It was not a pleasant feeling whatsoever.

''Silence you child! Just be thankful I'm even helping you in the first place!'' The woman roared, which seemed ironic in Mystogan's eyes. Lucy's shoulders slouched, as if admitting her ultimate defeat, making the male chuckle in the back of his throat.

''Now, I'll need to get herbs for your ankle too, so stay put.'' Porlyusica ordered as she went outside. When she returned with those horribly smelling herbs in hand, groaning and whining rang through the old treehouse, accompanied by quiet male laughter.

''Do you want to get better or not?!''

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**A/N: **_Thank you all who reviewed, favorited and followed, it means a lot to me! I'm just here to clear up some confusion with the timeline. So, this takes place somewhat before Phantom Lord, so that's why Wendy isn't in here yet, because when she joins it's already right before Edolas arc._


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